DATE ARCHIVES
:
September 2016

Having utterly bewitched us with their last single I’d Want U’, Dublin duo Bad Sea – aka Ciara Thompson and Alan Farrell – are at it again with their brand new single ‘Solid Air’.

As with before, Bad Sea’s sound is born from the pair’s embracing a rich vein of influences and styles to produce a smooth, smokey, alt-country sound. Moving at a leisurely, unhurried-pace ‘Solid Air’ is warm and alluring (even if the lyrics would suggest otherwise). It revolves around a steady, groovy drum beat, wiry guitar stabs and impressive pop hooks, which offer a perfect backdrop for Thompson’s rich, crisp vocals to come to the fore. At just over three minutes, this is an exquisitely crafted and delivered number, that channels the likes of Tennis et al and will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Definitely looking forward to hearing a whole lot more from Bad Sea but for now, check out their sublime new single ‘Solid Air’. It is out now!

Much like the Bath 5-piece’s previous single, ‘Avalanche’, ‘Wages’ is insanely catchy, extremely addictive and pretty brilliant. Occupying a similarly luminescent space on the landscape as The Go! Team at their best, ‘Wages’ is a syrupy brew of big, brassy disco-funk, hip-hop and fun fun fun. Fusing bright pop hooks, fuzzy guitars, high-pitched harmonies, with an irresistible groove, sing-a-long lyrics and more horns than a randy goat – we’re treated to a fun-filled barrel-roll through the genres and decades. Impressively, ‘Wages’ joins ‘Avalanche’ as two of the most thrilling, fun-filled and addictive singles of 2016, and sure to leave an indelible mark on your soul. Not bad for a band starting out, no?

You can listen to the bright and brassy ‘Wages’ below and it is out now. It does not disappoint!

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Trails and Ways have been drip feeding us tunes from their forthcoming new record Own It, penned for release on October 7th.

The California foursome are one of the best in the business when it comes to sun-drenched, chipper indie-pop. Something emphatically laid out by their wonderfully infectious debut LP, Pathology and most recent singles taken from the new record; ‘My Things’ & ‘Happiness’. Baring in mind the high standards they have set thus far, their latest single ‘Get Loud’ might just be the best thing they’ve produced to date. Lofty praise indeed but this three-minute pop nugget is divine. This is the most charming, smooth and sprightly of indie-pop. ‘Get Loud’ whizzes and fizzes by with mildly skuzzed guitars, delightful fuzz and smiley melodies. Infectious? Undeniably. Brilliant? Most definitely. This is sparkling indie-pop perfection.

‘Get Loud’ is the final single from their forthcoming LP, Own It (out Oct 7) – listen below. Also, the band are running a Kickstarter to get support for pressing the album, making new videos, and doing an autumn tour across the US and Canada. Check the dates here.

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This year, legendary Derry punk outfit The Undertones celebrate the 40th anniversary of the birth of band; a fairly impressive milestone by anyone’s standard.

To mark this auspicious occasion, The Undertones are re-releasing the self-titled 1979 debut and its 1980 follow-up, Hypnotised, on heavyweight vinyl and remastered from original tapes, and original replicated artwork. Two fantastic records (and personal favourites) which contain between them such glorious moments as ‘Teenage Kicks’, ‘Here Comes The Summer’, ‘Jimmy Jimmy’, ‘My Perfect Cousin’, ‘Wednesday Week’ and ‘There Goes Norman’. As part of a 40th anniversary remaster / digital release, Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine has remixed the band’s 1979 single ‘Get Over it’ mixed from the original multi-track. It’s not a ‘remix’ as perhaps we would normally expect, instead certain elements are cleaned and polished up, with the guitars in particular given a crunchier, meatier feel. It sounds less rough than the original while keeping true to its spirit and essence. You can listen to both versions below.

The reissues are out October 7th through Union Square Music on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl, along with Kevin Shields’ 2016 remix of ‘Get Over You’, available on 7”, 180-gram heavyweight red vinyl.

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Cal Folger Day is an American songwriter who has been based in Ireland for a while now, if you cast your mind back you may remember her 2013 Drom-d’reau EP coming in for some well deserved praise?

Well, Folger Day is back and casts a woozy spell over listeners with her latest single ‘Rawking Chair’. Inspired by her long-held position as a nanny – and the dichotomy between being part of a family and working for one – it showcases her marvellous way with words and equally glorious way of delivering them. Backed by a gentle, intricate but spritely strum, a stomping beat and jaunty bass line, making for a wonderful, whimsical and irrefutably infectious three-minutes plus. Wonderful, simply wonderful.

You can listen to ‘Rawking Chair’ below. If you’re in Dublin on Sunday, October 2, you can catch Cal Folger Day live with New Pope & Ray Brown in Beerhouse on Capel Street. All the details for that, are here.